Today on LTFW we have one of my best friends – model turned actor Manoj Chandila talking about movies, masti, and magic. So here are excerpts from our short conversation.

What kind of movies you love to watch & how many in a day can you watch?
Movies are a state of trance for me & I would want to be in that state for as long as I can be (laughs). If I have enough time on hand I can even watch films from morning 6am to 6pm. It’s difficult to choose one film as my favorite but Dustin Hoffman’s “TOOTSIE” remains a loved film forever.

Since what age are you watching movies?
It has to be the time when I started acting & I developed a feverish love for films (smiles).

You being an actor… tell me one movie that you remember that has the main lead playing an actor?
Oh!! It’s Dustin in Tootsie again and Farhan Akhtar in Luck By Chance.

Have you ever imagined yourself to be a superhero and tried to wear your briefs over your pants and tried to save the world?
(Guffaws) No… never in my wildest dreams… However, if I am provided with that kind of power I would most certainly want to save the world from coming atrocities and dangers.

What is your secret fantasy when it comes to movies and movie stars?
Why would I tell u my secret fantasy, as revealing it to u it would be no more a secret (winks).

Fine… Moving on, the most bizarre movie you have ever watched?
There was a film called “Boom” starring Amitabh Bachchan and Katrina Kaif, and it was a real headache (holds his head dramatically).

Your favorite movie and why?
Well DDLJ remains my all time favorite and when it comes to Hollywood, I already told – Tootsie (smiles). Oh yes, add The Scent of a Woman too….these films are special in their own way and style, and I like them for how beautifully they are woven and executed.

The corniest dialogue you have ever heard?
“Police ne tumhe charo taraf se gher liya hai” has been the one but I recently watched a Hindi film in which the judge in a court room scene repetitively & incessantly says “Order Order”.

A movie dialogue you tend to use often or comes to your mind now?
We don’t normally use any film dialogue in real life unless the situation is funny but once I do remember I bought shoes and they had to be delivered to my house and telling a store manager my name as Vijay Dinanath Chauhan after writing this name on the bill he paused and said “you are joking, right sir?” We both laughed after that (smiles).

Any filmmaker you would want to maroon in an island for making crappy movies?
Let me reach that stage where I can name them…save this question until that next major interview, please (winks).

Message to fellow movie buffs?
Watch as many movies as u can and if you are an actor then stakes are much higher. You should be a walking film library. It enriches u both consciously & subconsciously.

Thank you so much for being a part of LTFW and wish you all the best for your future endeavors (smiles)
You too and I am waiting for your next book release Alfie The Elf… I just loved the first three chapters you shared with me, in fact, my daughter has already become a huge fan of Alfie (smiles).

Thank you, Alfie is on the way… we are planning a November release.